Shelving Guide Thanks for helping us get materials back on the shelves. We are so grateful for reliable volunteers. When you shelve books and other materials it is important to remember that when an item is mis-shelved, it is virtually lost to our students and teachers. It is critical that we are careful when we shelve and that when we find materials that are misplaced, we move them to their proper places in the library
Special Library Sections
How to Shelve Them
Fiction
Fiction books are shelved alphabetically by the last name of the author. If an author writes a numbered series, the books are arranged by number. FIC KOR On the Run: Book One Survival FIC KOR On the Run: Book Two Escape If an author has several books not in a numbered series, within that author’s work, the books are arranged alphabetically by title. FIC HAL Enna Burning FIC HAL Goose Girl FIC HAL Princess Academy If two authors have the first the same first three letters of their last name, file as if the entire last name is on the label. FIC COO Cooney, Carline FIC COO Cooper, Susan If two authors have the same last name, shelve by last name, then by first: FIC COL Collins, David FIC COL Collins, Suzanne Some fiction books in series have multiple authors. These books are filed alphabetically by the series name to keep the series together where the kids can find them. The word series is on the spine label. FIC CLU series Clue Mystery series Our mysteries, science fiction, and historical fiction books have special labels, but they are interfiled in the regular fiction area.
Easy Chapter Books
Easy Chapter books have a yellow sticker by the spine label and may also have the word “yellow” on the label. They are filed the same as fiction (see above) but kept on separate shelves. FIC MEA (first 3 letters of author’s last name) yellow
Hardcover Picture Books
Hardcover picture books are shelved separately from paperbacks. They are shelved in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. E JUM (first three letters of author’s last name)
Paperback Picture Books
Paperback picture books are shelved separately from hardcovers.Within the computer, all the call numbers should have pb on them, however, not all the books say pb on the label.It is obvious which are the hardcovers and which are the paperbacks. E WIL (first 3 letters of author’s last name pb (not all books will have the pb printed on the label, but if they are paperback, please shelve with other paperback picture books)
Easy Readers
Easy Readers have a blue sticker by the spine label and may also have the word “blue” on the label. They are filed the same as picture books in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. E SAM (first three letters of author’s last name) blue
Graphic Novels
Fiction and nonfiction graphic novels (comic book-type books) are filed on the same shelf. These books have a red star on the spine label. Fiction and nonfiction should be filed separately on either side of the shelf with fiction filed alphabetically and nonfiction filed numerically. FIC or 123.99 ALT (first three letters of author’s last name) Graphic
Easy Nonfiction
Some easy nonfiction series are kept separate near the picture books. These books are arranged by title and series name to make them easy for students to find. These books all have gray stickers and the word “gray” on the spine label. Tub ROOKIE gray Harriet Tubman (Rookie Biography series)
Holiday Books
Holiday books are both fiction and non fiction.These books have stickers – Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and Valentines Day. They are kept in display cases during the appropriate season. Off-season they are kept in order in the back storage room.
Nonfiction
Nonfiction materials will have Dewey Decimal numbers on their spines. Shelve nonfiction books first by numbers, then by the letters under the numbers that usually stand for the author’s last name or the title of the book. Nothing comes before something! Example: 973 HAR 973 STE 973.03 HAR 973.3 HAB 973.73 CAT 973.73 STE 973.734 CAT
921 Biography
In this section within nonfiction, books are arranged by the subject’s last name. If the library has several biographies about the same person, within that subject, shelve by author. 921 WAS The Story of George Washington’s Life
Reference
Follow the instructions for shelving nonfiction, but make sure to shelve these materials separately in the Reference Area or dictionary stand. REF 973.73 ZIN Encyclopedias do not include a spine label, cannot usually be checked out and are filed by volume number.
Professional collection
The professional collection is shelved in the back storage room. Arrange these books by Dewey numbers. These books are of special interest to teachers and administrators. PRO 311.89 ACT
Parents Collection
The small parents’ collection is shelved in the back storage room. This collection includes both books and CD’s. They should all be kept together Parents 422.3 Fay
Oversized and Student Authors
Oversized and books by student authors are shelved flat at the bottom of the easy non-fiction section (gray dot) Oversized books have “oversized” typed on the spine.
Videos/DVDs
Shelve videos and DVDs together on the shelves in the storage room. They are arranged by Dewey numbers just like our books. Fiction titles and nonfiction titles are arranged separately. VIDEO or VIDEO ALD 973.4
Magazines
Shelve the magazines in the spinning rack near the circulation desk.
New Books
New books with “NEW” stickers are shelved separately near the dictionary stand. Obviously, new books will change as the year progresses.
Displays
There are changing displays around the library. If you see a book you think fits into that display – please put it on display. Displays after November displays will include birthday club books. These books have a removable label with a birthday present. Keep these books on display – so everyone knows they are here and all children can check them out.
Please do not shelve any books on the circulation desk or on the carts immediately behind the desk. Bring back to the circulation desk, any materials that: • Do not have spine labels • Have spine labels that are hard to read • Have call numbers that do not appear to make sense – e.g. a motorcycle book with the same call number as an animal book • Are in poor physical condition or are missing a plastic cover over a paper cover When in doubt, ask for help!
Shelving Guidelines
Shelving Guide
Thanks for helping us get materials back on the shelves. We are so grateful for reliable volunteers. When you shelve books and other materials it is important to remember that when an item is mis-shelved, it is virtually lost to our students and teachers. It is critical that we are careful when we shelve and that when we find materials that are misplaced, we move them to their proper places in the library
FIC KOR On the Run: Book One Survival
FIC KOR On the Run: Book Two Escape
If an author has several books not in a numbered series, within that author’s work, the books are arranged alphabetically by title.
FIC HAL Enna Burning
FIC HAL Goose Girl
FIC HAL Princess Academy
If two authors have the first the same first three letters of their last name, file as if the entire last name is on the label.
FIC COO Cooney, Carline
FIC COO Cooper, Susan
If two authors have the same last name, shelve by last name, then by first:
FIC COL Collins, David
FIC COL Collins, Suzanne
Some fiction books in series have multiple authors. These books are filed alphabetically by the series name to keep the series together where the kids can find them. The word series is on the spine label.
FIC CLU series Clue Mystery series
Our mysteries, science fiction, and historical fiction books have special labels, but they are interfiled in the regular fiction area.
FIC
MEA (first 3 letters of author’s last name)
yellow
E
JUM (first three letters of author’s last name)
E
WIL (first 3 letters of author’s last name
pb (not all books will have the pb printed on the label, but if they are paperback, please shelve with other paperback picture books)
E
SAM (first three letters of author’s last name)
blue
FIC or 123.99
ALT (first three letters of author’s last name)
Graphic
Tub
ROOKIE
gray
Harriet Tubman (Rookie Biography series)
973 HAR
973 STE
973.03 HAR
973.3 HAB
973.73 CAT
973.73 STE
973.734 CAT
921 WAS The Story of George Washington’s Life
REF
973.73
ZIN
Encyclopedias do not include a spine label, cannot usually be checked out and are filed by volume number.
PRO 311.89 ACT
Parents 422.3 Fay
VIDEO or VIDEO
ALD 973.4
Bring back to the circulation desk, any materials that:
• Do not have spine labels
• Have spine labels that are hard to read
• Have call numbers that do not appear to make sense – e.g. a motorcycle book with the same call number as an animal book
• Are in poor physical condition or are missing a plastic cover over a paper cover
When in doubt, ask for help!